The signal that viewers are receiving. CA has switched off NTV and Citizen. [Photo/Njenga Hakeenah]
The Communications Authority (CA) has switched off Citizen TV, it's sister radio station and NTV.
This follows a warning issued on Monday over the broadcasting of the Raila swearing-in ceremony. On Monday, the government warned that it would switch off and revoke licences of broadcasters airing the oathing ceremony at Uhuru Park.
The Kenya Editors Guild chairman Linus Kaikai, on Monday, January 29 alleged that media managers from the main media houses were summoned to State House where threats to shut down media houses if they cover the NASA event were issued.
“We have just learnt today that on Friday last week, a section of media managers and select editors from the main media houses were quietly summoned to a meeting at the State House, Nairobi,” said Kaikai.
“The brief meeting attended by President Uhuru Kenyatta, Deputy President William Ruto, Interior Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiang’i, ICT Secretary Joe Mucheru and AG Githu Muigai did not bode well for the freedom of expression and press in the country,” read the statement in part.
“At the meeting, President Kenyatta expressly threatened to shut down and revoke the licences of any media house that would broadcast live the planned purported swearing in of NASA leaders Raila Odinga and Kalonzo Musyoka on Tuesday. That direct threat has subsequently been echoed, off record by other senior members of government.”
NTV has been switched off at the Limuru transmission site plunging the station into darkness. The station has been switched on all free to air platforms while Citizen is off on all platforms.
Both stations have been broadcasting on their platform, ADNL, which has been switched off.
More to follow…